Customer Reviews

The Hidden Life of Humans

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As a part-time dog-owner and long-time dog-lover, I was intrigued by the cover of this book peeking out at me on bookstore shelves (or screens). As it turns out, a friend who hadn't liked it gave it to me while I was on vacation, and I must say it made for pretty good light reading.

One of the main features of this book is, of course, that part of it is written from the viewpoint of a dog, who has pretty good insight into human behaviour. There are even a few poetic bits about the inner life of dogs - their dreams and so on.

The main story takes place over a few months, I guess. We witness the existential musings of a middle-aged female writer who can't seem to enter into a committed relationship. Her love life is a seemingly endless succession of 'Marrieds', as she calls them. Until... well, you'll just have to see for yourself. Of course, there is a (somewhat predictable) cast of minor characters - the gay friend, the cowboy, the loony stand-up comic....

On the whole, though, I must say, I did enjoy this book and was drawn into the story. I appreciated its terse style and its humour, which pokes fun at the writing business and the somewhat bohemian lifestyle that a lot of us in creative jobs seem to have a knack for - with eccentricities such as refusing to learn to drive. I found the main character quite endearing and had no difficulty understanding why Erika Ritter is a successful playwright.

I don't know if men can readily identify with the protagonist and her quest (for true love, etc.), but I think that Ritter has succeeded in creating a quirky, likeable character struggling with some current (and some timeless) questions. Not the best thing I've read in years, but a pleasant, effective, quite original work by a talented fellow Canadian. Excellent subway or holiday reading, and a must for people who love dogs.

Erika Ritter tries to do something different with this book and the results are mixed. The Hidden Life of Humans is written from the points of view of the main character Dana and a dog named Murphy. I really liked parts of the book being written from the dog's point of view. At times I wished for more of this. At other times the book clunked along awkwardly. I found the main character's friends to be quite two dimensional and ...typical. Luckily, the main story does not revolve around them so overall the book still works. It took a bit for me to get into it, but it did draw me in about the hundred page mark. This is a novel about a woman finding out about herself and what she wants out of life. I was pleased with the end result.

When I started reading the book pages started falling out. I should have known. Not a great fan of the story. The best part is when you are able to read what the dog is thinking, and there is not enough of it!